Metabase vs Apache Superset
Metabase and Apache Superset are both BI & dashboards tools. Metabase is aimed at small businesses and developers, while Apache Superset is aimed at developers and enterprise. Both have a free plan.
Open-source BI anyone can use
Open-source data exploration at scale
| Pricing | Open source · $100 | Open source |
| Starting price | $100/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Developers | Developers, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | US · 2015 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Metabase if
Startups and mid-size companies wanting quick, affordable BI; developers embedding analytics.
- Free open-source edition is genuinely usable
- Easy for non-analysts
- Wide database support
Look elsewhere if: Enterprises needing advanced modeling and governance (Looker, Power BI).
Choose Apache Superset if
Data teams wanting open-source BI at scale.
- Free and powerful
- Scales to large data
- Open source
Look elsewhere if: Non-technical small teams (Metabase).
Metabase vs Apache Superset pricing
Metabase
- Open Source$0Self-hosted, unlimited users
- Starter$100/mo$90/mo billed annually; 5 users, +$6/user
- Pro$575/mo$517.50/mo billed annually; 10 users, +$12/user; SSO, embedding
- EnterpriseCustomFrom $20,000/yr; dedicated success engineer
Apache Superset
- Open source$0Apache 2.0, self-hosted
- Preset Starter$0Managed cloud, up to 5 users
- Preset Professional$25/user/mo$20/user/mo billed annually; 14-day trial
- Preset EnterpriseCustomDeployment at scale, AI agent access
Metabase · Key features
- Visual query builder plus native SQL editor
- Dashboards with filters, drill-through and subscriptions
- Alerts and scheduled email/Slack reports
- Models and metrics for governed self-serve
- Embedding (public, static, interactive SDK)
- Open source self-hosting or managed cloud
Cons
- Visualization options are basic
- Performance depends on your database
- Advanced permissions need Pro
Apache Superset · Key features
- SQL Lab IDE
- 40+ chart types
- Dashboards
- Semantic layer
- RBAC
- Many databases
Cons
- Setup and maintenance
- UX less friendly than Metabase
- Learning curve
Metabase vs Apache Superset: FAQ
Do Metabase and Apache Superset have a free plan?
Yes, both Metabase and Apache Superset have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Metabase or Apache Superset?
Metabase lists small businesses as a core audience, while Apache Superset is aimed more at developers and enterprise.